Ink fountain for printing presses



Jan. 7, L930. c. A. RUPP 1,742,787

INK FOUNTAIN FOR PRINTING PRESSES Fild Aug. 21', 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 7, 1930. c. A. RUPP INK FOUNTA'IN FOR PRINTING PRESSES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. .21, 1928 Patented Jan. 7, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL A. RUPP, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO COMMERCIAL IRON WORKS OF LOS ANGELES, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA INK FOUNTAIN FOR PRINTING PRESSES Application filed August 21, 1928; Serial No. 300,991.

of balls are housed in a bent or elbowshaped pipe havingmeans to prevent the balls from falling out'of the pipe; and'in this connection a further feature of my invention is in the connection of the bent'pipes housing the balls tothe body of the fountain to allow placing the pipes close-together and supporting them ma swiveling manner in the body; Theupper'most ball in each bentpipe supports a pin which adjusts the spring blade. The balls are actuated to transmit motion to the pins -by adjusting rods screw threadedinto the bent pipes.

Another object of my invention is in utilizing a protecting sheet of metal which is clamped betweenthe body and'the ink tray of the inkfountain and engages between the pins operated by the balls and the spring blade, so that in cleaning and readjusting the ink fountain there is no danger of the ink clogging the adjusting device having the shiftable 30b2LllS- i i V I Another object of my invention is the construction of a division plate for use in an ink fountain where different colored inks are run at the'same time, this plate being adjustable 5 and having a-combination of'a metal and a wood construction. I

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig; 1 is a plan view of a fountain taken 40- int he direction of the arrow 1 of Fig; 2, with parts .brokenaway,

Fig. 2 is an elevationtaken in the direction of the arrow 2 of Fig. 1,

Fig.3is an end elevation't'aken in .rection'ofthe arrow 30f Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a cross sectioutlirougli the fountain on the line*4-4 of Figs. 1 or 2 in the direction o'fthearrows,-,

Fig. 4- is a cross section through the body the dishowing oneof the holes in which bent pipes are freely hungby means of flanged over upper ends, V

Fig. 4 is a sectionthrough the upper portio'nof one of the bent pipes,

Fig. 5 is an elevation of Fig. 4 in thedirection of the arrow 5, with parts broken away,

Fig. 6 is a detail section through one of the adjusting rod brackets,

Fig. 7 is a plan view of one of the division plates takenin the direction of the arrow 7 of Fig. 8,

Fig. 8 is an elevation of Fig. 7 in the direction of the arrow 8t In my invention I utilize certain features of a conventional ink fountain, in which an elongated frame body 11 extends from side to side of the press and forms the main body support for the ink fountain. This body has a pair of slots 12 at the ends, and in the base 13 of these slots there is threadedan adjustable screw 14. The front section 15 ofthe ink tray has a sloping plate 16 and a front or vertical plate 17 There is'a squared-stud 18 fitted in the plate 16 so that a square side may be engaged by the head-19-of the screw 14. The nut 20 is utilized to clamp the tray section to the frame body 11.

A spring blade 21 is securedby rivets 22 or the like to the plate 16., this plate having an undercut section 23. The end of the blade passes underneath the bottom of the-fountainroller 24. A protecting apron plate 25 formed preferably of comparatively thin flexible copper has one edge 26 gripped between the plate 16 of thefro-ntsection of the ink tray and the edge of the body 11. This plate or strip passes underneath the blade and hasan apron 27 extending downwardly at the opposite edge of the body 11.

The body is provided with a plurality of bosses 29 and with holes 30 through the body and through these bosses, the holesand bosses being spaced comparatively close together and forming a longitudinal row across the bar.

Each of the holes has a chamfer 31 at the top.

(Note Fig. 4*.)

A series of bent pipes 32 have upper sections83 fitted in theholes 30. These sections have chamfers 84 (note Fig. 4 which are flanged outwardly tofit the chamfers 31 in the body 11 and thus hold the bent pipes in position. (Note Fig. 4.) This connection however allows the bent pipes to swivel to take up their proper adjustment. Each of these pipes has a reduced end 85 in which is threaded an adjusting rod 36.- A series of balls 37 are fitted in the pipe bearing against the end of the rod and support a floating adjusting pin 38 the pin bearing upwardly on r the apron plate 25 and thrusting the blade 21 upwardly into proper adjustment with the fountain roller. I

These adjusting rods extend laterally to each side of the printing press and extend through holes 39 in adjusting rod brackets 40 mounted on each side of the frame. These rods have preferably squared ends 41 for adjustment with a wrench.

From my construction as above described it will be apparent that the bent pipes may be placed close together so that there are a large number of the floating pins 38 for adjusting the spring blade 21, thus allowing accurate adjustment of this blade at different positions in the press to obtain the desired inking. In the construction of these bent pipes it is desirable to have an easy curve to allow transmission of the motion due tothe adjusting rods in the bent pipes so that the floating pins may be readily controlled; and the ends 35 of these bent pipes overlap adj acent pipes and prevent their turning a full revolution, but there is sufiicient swiveling allowed to obtain the proper fitting in connection with the adjusting rods.

The division plates designated generally by the numeral 45 are illustrated particularly in Figs. 7 and 8. These comprise a metal base 46 having a vertical slot 47 therein with a set screw 48 extending through the outside section 49 of the base. The slot 47 is adapted to fit the vertical plate 17 of the front section of the ink tray and the set screw to hold the plate in position as illustrated in Fig. 4. Extending forwardlyfrom the base there are a pair of side plates 50 and fitted between these side plates there is a wood filler 51 being secured by a screw and slot connection 52. These fillers have a concave end 53 to conform tov the circumference of the fountain roller. These division plates by the adjustable feature of the filler allow a sufficiently close contact with the fountain roller to" prevent spreading of ink from the tray at one side of the division plate to the other. The bot tom of the division plate adjacent the spring blade and the front sec-tion of the tray is packed in a suitable manner to prevent underflow of the ink.

Various changes may be made in theprinciples of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof, as set forth in the descrip tion, drawings and claims.

I claim:

1. An ink fountain having an ink tray with frame bar below the roller with a plurality of perforations therethrough, a bent pipe in each perforation, said pipes being sufiiciently close together to prevent turning of one relative to the other, a series of balls in each pipe, a pin resting on the uppermost ball to press the blade, and an adjusting rod at the opposite end of the pipe from the pin.

3. An ink fountain having an ink tray with a spring blade, a fountain roller, a frame bar positioned below the roller and having a series of bosses in alignment under the roller with perforations therethrough, a bent pipe in each perforation, the pipes being positioned sufiiciently close together to prevent turning of one relative to the other, a series of balls in each pipe with a pin on the uppermost ball, and an adjusting rod at the end opposite the pin, the adjusting rods leading to opposite sides of the fountain. I

4. An ink fountain as claimed in claim 3, a flexible apron positioned underneath the blade passing between the blade and the pins.

5. An ink fountain having an ink tray with a spring blade and a fountain roller, a1.

frame bar positioned below the roller and having a series of perforations each'with a chamfer at the upper edge, a bent pipe in each perforation having an upper portion swaged to fit in the chamfer and allow slight rotation, a series of balls in each pipe, a pin on the uppermost ball to press the blade, and an adjusting rod connected to each pipe.

6. An ink fountain having an ink tray with a spring blade, a fountain roller and a frame roller, a bent pipe secured in each perforation and having a reduced end with a series of balls in the pipe, the reduced end preventing escape of the balls, an adjusting rod threaded in the reduced end, and a pin on the uppermost ball to exert pressure against the blade.

7. An ink fountain having an ink tray with a spring blade, a fountain roller and a frame bar below the roller and a series of perforations with a chamfer at the top thereof, a bent pipe in each of the perforations having a swaged upper end engaging the chamfer and allowing slight rotation, the opposite end of the pipe being reduced, a series of balls in the pipe prevented from escape by the reduced end, an adjustingrod in the reduced end, and a pin on the uppermost ball to exert pressure against the blade.

8. An ink fountain as claimed in claim 7,

" bar with a series of perforations below the a metal apron secured between the ink tray and the frame bar and passing between the pins and the blade, and having an apron portion extending over the side of the frame bar.

9. An ink fountain having an ink tray with a spring blade, a fountain roller, a frame bar positioned below the roller and forming a support for the tray with a series of bosses and perforations therethrough, the upper edge of the perforations being chamfered, a bent pipe fitted in each perforation and being swaged into the chamfer to allow partial rotation, the pipes being sufl'iciently close together to prevent turning of one relative to the other, each pipe having a reduced end, a series of balls therein prevented from escape by the reduced end, an adjusting rod for each pipe, a pin supported on the uppermost ball, and an apron plate connected between the frame bar and passing between the blade and the pins.

10. An ink fountain having an ink tray with a spring blade, a fountain roller, a pressure means to exert pressure on the under side of the blade, and an imperforate apron passing between the blade and the said pressure means to prevent ink contacting with the pressure means.

11. An ink fountain having an ink tray, a frame bar supporting the tray, a spring blade, a fountain roller, apressure means to exert pressure on the blade against the roller, and

an imperforate apron passing between the pressure means and the blade to prevent ink contacting with the pressure means.

12. An ink fountain having an ink tray, a frame bar supporting the tray, a spring blade, a fountain roller, a pressure means extending through the bar to exert pressure on the blade againstthe roller, and a metal imperforate apron secured between the frame bar and the tray and passing between the pressure means and the blade to prevent ink contacting with the pressure means.

13. In an ink fountain having an ink tray with a front plate and a fountain roller, a division plate having a base portion with a slot therein, means to adjustably engage the front plate of the tray in the slot, and a wood filler adjustably secured to the said base to engage the roller.

14. In an ink fountain having an ink tray with a front plate and a fountain roller, a division plate having a metal base with a slot therein and an outer section with a set screw therethrough to engage the front plate of the tray in the slot, and a wood filler adjustably mounted on the said base, the filler being adapted to engage the fountain roller.

15. In an ink fountain an ink tray having a front plate and a fountain roller, a division plate having a metal base with a slot therein and an outside section with a set screw adapted to engage the vertical plate in the slot, side pieces secured to the base, and a wood filler adjustably mounted in the side plates and adapted to fit against the fountain roller.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

0. A. RUPP. 

